Essential supplies and some treats are being ferried to the Covid-19 frontline at hospitals across North Wales with the help of a top trailer maker. The BV64 from Ifor Williams Trailers is providing a logistical lifeline with deliveries of vital personal protective equipment, bottled water and even Easter eggs over the bank holiday weekend to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan and the Wrexham Maelor.
The trailer was originally acquired by the NHS charity, Awyr Las (Blue Sky), and the Keep the Beat and Achub Calon y Dyffryn charities with the aim of transporting life-saving defibrillators to communities in North Wales and carrying equipment to venues including schools for presentations.
It is now being used for a different purpose by Tomos Hughes BEM, North Wales’ Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD), who works for the Welsh Ambulance Service and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
Tomos, 44, who lives in Cerrigydrudion, in Conwy, was awarded the British Empire Medal last year for his work installing 400 defibrillators across North Wales, including one at the summit of Snowdon. He took delivery of the BV64 box van just in the nick of time a couple of hours before the coronavirus lockdown came into force.
Commenting Tomos said: “The trailer is being used by Awyr Las and the ambulance service to transport PPE and deliver it to the three main hub hospitals in North Wales. Luckily, we had the trailer a matter of hours when the lockdown was announced and it’s proved an invaluable tool. To be honest it’s been a massive help and I’m not sure what we would have done without it.”
“I have also managed to get out with the trailer and deliver some temporary defib machines to areas I knew had inadequate cover while the pandemic continues. Knowing the likely difficulties we were going to face with the virus raging, I identified areas that needed defib machines and got them installed, although some are only on a temporary basis until the pandemic is over when I’ll make them permanent.”
“The trailer is just such a perfect tool. It was never intended to do the job it’s doing but it’s meant we can move PPE and other supplies quickly between hub hospitals. We have used it to carry other things like supplies of bottled water to frontline NHS staff. They need all the help they can get at this time. We even filled it with chocolate after some supermarkets donated Easter eggs to NHS frontline staff battling the Covid-19 pandemic, I enjoyed delivering those to surprised but grateful staff at the three hospitals. I’m happy that we use the trailer for as long as it’s needed when it comes to moving equipment and whatever else is needed between our hub hospitals.”
Once the pandemic is under control, the trailer will be used for the purpose it was originally intended.